The Town of Erwin gives candidates seven days after election results are certified to collect their campaign signs, but less than a day after Tuesday's election, the Unicoi County Democratic Party says some signs had already disappeared, both in Erwin and Unicoi County.
Among the signs missing, those of Rob Russell. He lost to Phil Roe in the race for the 1st Congressional District earlier this week.
"It's just common courtesy right, to allow people to come and collect their signs and put them in the right place," Russell said.
However, according to Unicoi County Democratic Party Chairperson Mike Hampton, that didn't happen. Instead, Hampton says when supporters went in search of signs Wednesday, there was no sign of any.
"All the signs were gone," Hampton said. "That was about six, eight o'clock in the morning."
So far, Unicoi County Democrats have only found four Rob Russell for Congress signs. Russell says 50 to 60 are still missing and for him, that's not a cheap problem. This election it cost him $3 just to make one sign.
"If like me, you're planning on running again in 2010, you want to hang on to those and hold on to those and be able to use those in the primary next time around," Russell said.
By looking at pictures the Democrats took, that won't be possible. They snapped shots of trashed Democratic signs in a dumpster next to the Town of Erwin's street department.
"If they're at the city garage, it had to be city employees," Hampton said.
Not so according to Erwin Street Department Assistant Foreman Chris Williams.
"I hadn't sent anybody out this week to pick them up," Williams said.
Town employees usually collect signs found along public right of ways and as a courtesy to candidates store them at the town garage. However, Williams says this week, they didn't collect any signs.
So who did? In the county, Sheriff Kent Harris says the Unicoi County Litter Patrol collected signs from both parties Wednesday. However, he says his crews crews didn't throw those signs away at the city dumpster. Sheriff Harris says in the county, his crews will continue to collect and throw away leftover campaign signs.
"This is the first time I've ever got a complaint," Harris said. "Normally, people are happy we're getting their signs up for them."
Not Rob Russell. He says whoever is responsible should have given him a little extra time.
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